Football Coaches Australia presents ‘The Football Coaching Life Podcast’ S2 Ep 3 with Gary Cole interviewing Zeljko Kalac

Zeljko Kalac, perhaps better known as ‘Spider’ in Australian Football circles, played over 400 games for club and country, with 54 caps for the Socceroos over 14 years.

 

Spiders amazing career saw him play as a youngster with Sydney United before heading overseas to play in Holland with Roda and in Italy with AC Milan winning a European Champions League.

 

Zeljko’s coaching journey commenced at Sydney FC as Goalkeeping Coach with Vitezslav Lavicka then Frank Farina and Graham Arnold before moving to West Sydney Wanderers to work alongside his good friend Tony Popovic.

 

Spider is our first goalkeeping coach on the podcast and discusses his journey and how it is to work as an assistant with some of Australia’s best coaches. He also speaks honestly about the goalkeeping coaches that helped him on his journey as a player and now as coaching mentors.

 

We also discuss his short stint as Head Coach of Sydney United 58, who went on to win an NPL Championship as well as the culture of this great club that has helped to develop so many Socceroos and coaches.

 

Spiders ‘One piece of wisdom’ for coaches: Be open minded and willing to adapt because football is played in all sorts of ways. There is not a right or a wrong way to play’.

 

This is our first PG rated podcast as Spider is ruthlessly frank. As a wise man once said, ‘If you don’t want to hear the answer, don’t ask the question!’

 

Please join me in sharing Zeljko Kalac’s Football Coaching Life.

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How James Johnson Is Shaping Canada Soccer’s Billion-Dollar World Cup Commercial Future

Canada Soccer has confirmed a renewed long-term commercial agreement with Canadian Soccer Media and Entertainment, marking a significant reset in the federation’s revenue strategy as the country prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The updated partnership extends CSME’s control of Canada Soccer’s commercial rights, including sponsorship, broadcast and media licensing, while introducing revised financial terms designed to provide the federation with greater long-term revenue certainty and growth potential. The agreement replaces a previous deal that faced heavy scrutiny from players and stakeholders over concerns surrounding commercial valuation and distribution of revenues.

CSME, led by Group Chief Executive James Johnson, played a central role in renegotiating the structure, which aims to better align commercial returns with the sport’s accelerating domestic and international profile. The revised framework is expected to support increased investment across national team programs, commercial development and broader football growth initiatives.

The agreement arrives at a pivotal moment for Canadian football, with momentum building across both men’s and women’s programs and global attention increasing ahead of 2026. Securing a more sustainable commercial model is viewed as critical to ensuring the federation can maximise opportunities generated by hosting football’s largest tournament.

The renewed partnership also signals a shift toward long-term commercial planning, providing Canada Soccer with a more stable financial platform as it looks to strengthen its competitive standing and expand participation nationwide.

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